Addressing community needs through a participatory food security assessment

Despite substantial evidence describing the overall causes of U.S. food insecurity, in-depth explorations single communities remain important, to understand geographic variation and identify locally responsive solutions. In one affluent Pennsylvania county, we conducted a mixed-methods community security assessment, with pantry member surveys, interviews coordinators stakeholders, community-wide focus groups. Pantry members visited frequently desired healthier foods, households children at highest risk. Food insecurity occurred within broader hardships, including local cost-of-living, inadequate transportation, documentation fears. Holistic approaches both individual policy levels could address immediate needs foster sustainable change.